BCTA troubled over Translink ‘contingency plan’

VANCOUVER, (Feb. 24, 2004) — British Columbia Trucking Association President Paul Landry is joining other road user groups in opposing a possible plan that would force drivers to pony up a vehicle levy in order to enter downtown Vancouver.

Translink — the agency responsible for the Greater Vancouver Regional District’s (GVRD) public transit system and major roads — announced the “contingency plan” would charge between 10 and 60 cents per trip in the event Ottawa abandons its own promise to share more fuel tax revenues with the provinces.

Translink chairman Doug McCallum told Canadian Press he believes it’s unlikely the levy would ever be necessary, but has said in the past a contingency plan needs to be in place in case the government doesn’t come through. If that happens, Translink says it could be facing an annual shortfall of up to $41 million in 2008, which would escalate to $122 million by 2013.

While they applaud the federal government’s pledge to put more fuel tax dollars back into infrastructure, the BCTA as well as the British Columbia Automobile Association loudly oppose Translink’s back-door proposal in case the federal money never shows up. They add that road-users already pay over $350 million in excise tax and GST on fuel, with little return.

“We’re already footing 40 per cent of the bill and getting only back 4 or 5 per cent of Translink’s (budget) into roads,” Landry told Today’s Trucking, adding most of Translink’s budget is allocated to public transit instead.

“We have always supported more federal support, but if the money doesn’t come, why doesn’t their contingency plan consider a reduction in expenditures, or maybe realize that we can’t afford to do everything they want to do (on transit),” Landry said. ” Instead they’re looking at goring road users once again.”

— with files from Canadian Press